Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
by petrelli heiress
Summary: There's a thin line between love and lust, and Peter, Gabriel, Nathan and Claire are about to blur it even more. High school AU. Slash.


**Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered**

**Author's Note: First of all, I should say this fic is dedicated to Boisterous Hal, who came up with the idea in the first place although I did indeed run with it. While writing it I felt as though I was writing some teen romance – love/hate relationship, the Bet, the Prom, etc – and the ending is the result of too much repeated listening of certain Pansy Division songs. Anyway...here it is. **

**Warning: Completely AU. They have no powers. None of them are related, except Nathan and Peter. Again I repeat, AU. Also slash – Peter/Gabriel, Matt/Mohinder. So, don't like, don't read. Oh, and contains attempted rape. **

**Disclaimer: Now, finally, this – I do not own Heroes. **

**__________________________________________________________________________________**

It began as an ordinary Saturday. The Primatech Turtles were practising on the only good field for miles when the Pinehurst Lizards gatecrashed, so to speak. So, your average Saturday in the little town of Kirby-on-Kring.

Everyone who attended the Primatech Institute for the Gifted – from the plastic Barbies to the next Einstein – hated everyone who went to Pinehurst High School, and vice versa. Take "This town ain't big enough for the both of us," multiple it by ten thousand and you still wouldn't be able to calculate the combined animosity.

The cheerleaders from both schools glared daggers at each other. Any moment now they'd burst into song, using rhymes to subtly – and not so subtly – insult each other. The captains of each football team, Nathan Petrelli and Gabriel Gray, gave each other blank stares until Gabriel's gaze moved onto Nathan's younger brother, Peter, who was much easier to aggravate while Nathan pretended he wasn't staring blatantly at the newest cheerleader to join the Primatech squad, Claire Bennet, whose bosom was heaving in very ingenious ways, so total was her hatred for the other squad already.

Gabriel Gray – called by some "the totally hot, most delectable piece of eye candy in existence" and by others "the loathsome, most despicable creature that ever walked the planet" – smirked at his prey. He would enjoy wiping that self-satisfied grin off Matt's face. And he would most certainly enjoy making Peter Petrelli fall madly in love with him, and then taking him to the Prom where he would humiliate him so totally he'd cry like the baby he really was (the stipulations of the bet Matt had 'forced' on him). Oh yes, enjoyment was on the horizon, he could practically _taste _it.

Peter Petrelli – who had, in fact, wanted to become a nurse and, when told by his brother that this was 'unmanly,' had quickly decided to join the football team to prove he was by no means 'unmanly' – glared at his nemesis. He never did anything by half (and certainly never anything by quarter). Everything he felt was pitched at high volume, possibly even pushed up to the max. Thus he hated as passionately as he loved. As we all know there is a thin line between love and hate. Of course Peter spared not a thought for _that _pearl of wisdom because down that path laid only angst and he was not one to write emo poetry because only 'unmanly' people did that. And, as has already been stated, this was an image Peter was trying desperately not to cultivate.

Nathan Petrelli – epitome of the popular jock and all-around good guy, with a streak of narcissism thrown in for good measure – gazed freely at Claire's breasts with no idea who she was. _She _would be the next one, he thought as his gaze finally made its way up to her face. Fresh-faced and terribly naive, she was the embodiment of all he was looking for in his next prospective girlfriend. The fact that she was blonde only raised her higher in his estimation.

Claire Bennet – newest cheerleader, eldest daughter of the new vice principal and in no way a mentally challenged airhead – noticed Nathan's gaze on her and immediately, mostly due to her new friends' giggly reactions, smiled shyly and then returned his gaze, showing without a doubt that that smile would be the only hint of timidity she'd ever show. He'll do, she thought. He's certainly much cuter than – but down that path laid only heartbreak and she was done crying into her pillow every night.

The spark that lit the fuse was also an incredibly regular occurrence. Gabriel said something guaranteed (_or your money back!_) to piss Peter off, usually along the lines of insults directed towards his masculinity, or lack of it, the overall loser quota of the Primatech team and possibly even a mention of money being the only reason his team hadn't been disqualified so far. Of course he said all of this in a tone which only Peter realised was insulting. Gabriel was very talented in that area.

Peter rushed forward, tackling him to the ground. "Take it back!" he shouted repeatedly, punching him on every word, but Gabriel only laughed. And he continued laughing as Peter became more and more infuriated.

Nathan yawned, ignoring his brother, instead focusing all of his attention on that pretty, blonde cheerleader who, along with the other cheerleaders, sported expressions that were a mixture of worry and that eternal human quality that continuously shouts, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

And then Gabriel did it. He reached up under Peter's shirt and rubbed his thumb gently over his stomach. Peter's expression changed dramatically. One minute it was one of utter fury and the next it was one of pure desire, his eyes darkening as he—

Matt pulled him off before he could do anything he might regret. He held him up and Gabriel caught one last, absolutely devastated look, before Matt dumped him on the ground.

"Control your brother," Matt growled. "Before he gets himself hurt." He then lumbered over to Gabriel and helped him up.

Nathan tore his gaze from Claire's not-so-heaving bosom and sighed. "Damn it, Peter, what the hell did you do now?"

Although he clearly heard the frustration in his brother's voice, Peter could only mumble an apology and then fall silent, his gaze never leaving Gabriel. His eyes were still dark with desire, the irises blocking out everything else, and Gabriel had to congratulate himself on a job well done. It had worked far better than he'd expected.

After practice – in which the Turtles were defeated by the Lizards, much to the former's disgust and the latter's glee – Gabriel walked off the field, grinning. Not only had the first stage of his plan worked, he was also leaving the field triumphant in a different sense. Not an entirely unusual experience but nevertheless incredibly delightful.

And then Peter was dragging him behind the bleachers, pushing him against the hard, concrete wall and, hands clutching Gabriel's shoulders, crushing their lips together.

"I knew it, I knew it," he whispered before he could shut himself up. "I knew you were gay." This said by Kirby-on-Kring's most raging homosexual.

He felt Peter grin against his mouth. This was _not _part of the plan. _He _was supposed to be the one in control, not acting like some giddy schoolboy whose crush had just realised he existed. This was intolerable...

...but, _oh_, Peter was kissing him and he never wanted to stop. _Never._

He was going to kill Matt Parkman.

***

Nathan walked over to Claire after practice, like some living embodiment of a Greek god, all sweaty and intensely masculine. She'd just finished a particularly trying routine as well. Thus she wasn't entirely to blame if she was a little breathless.

"So...you're the new girl," he said, standing far too close and invading her personal space and...why didn't she care?

"Claire Bennet," she replied, thrusting her hand out, trying to ignore the fact that her hand was so evidently not the thing he wanted to touch. Really, he was much too obvious. Za – _He _hadn't been that obvious..._no, don't think about it._

He smiled and she felt her pulse racket up to new heights. "That's my name," she clarified when he did nothing _but _smile. She began to lower her hand, feeling slightly stupid and just a little bit angry at him for making her feel that way.

_His _hand came out of nowhere, grasped hers, and brought her fingers to his lips. He pressed a soft kiss to the tips of her fingers, then her knuckles, then her wrist..._what the hell was he doing?_

She pulled her hand away hastily, and his smile became tinged with surprise and a little confusion. He'd known she was enjoying it so...why?

He continued to stare at her until a commotion near the bleachers drew both their gazes, to see Matt Parkman heave Gabriel out from behind there by the ear, shirt seemingly in shreds.

"Matt!" Gabriel yelled, trying to pull himself away from his friend's steel-like grip. "Let go, damn you!" He spared a glance back at a grinning Peter, whose eyes were still as hungry as they had been. God, Peter was _insatiable_ and, the thought bringing a salacious grin to his face, he wanted to spend the rest of his life slaking that hunger. He mimed "Call me!" before Matt managed to drag him across the field and into the parking lot.

"Okay, I know you've got this weird obsession with the guy," Matt rumbled, pushing him against the back of their van. Gabriel had to push his hands out and grab the van or risk falling onto the gravel. "And I know I may have stoked that obsession with the whole bet thing," he continued, sighing and rubbing his forehead, "But that was just inappropriate! His brother was right there!"

Gabriel still couldn't wipe that grin off his face. "Oh, he was too involved in flirting with that cheerleader," he said, turning to open the van door and climbing in. He caught a glimpse of Matt rolling his eyes – in true Matt fashion – as he added, "He wouldn't have noticed a thing."

Peter, after collecting himself, sauntered out from the opposite end of the bleachers. By this time Nathan had shrugged, dismissing the scene he'd witnessed, and turned his attention back to Claire, who was become increasingly more flustered and took the opportunity Peter's presence created to leave immediately. She cursed herself as she did, heaping extra curses on the man who had caused every connection she attempted to forge just that little bit harder to accomplish.

Nathan, still trying to figure out what he'd done wrong, ignored Peter's rather dishevelled appearance and instead was more than characteristically silent on the ride home. Peter didn't notice, instead he hummed along to the catchy tune of Def Leppard's _Pour Some Sugar On Me _which was playing on the radio, resolving to call Gabriel the minute he could.

***

Gabriel rushed to the phone when it rang and tried to pretend as he said a calm "Hello?" that he wasn't breathless from running and in fact his heart was not beating a mile a minute in the hopes that Peter was on the other end.

His sister, Charlie, rolled her eyes and returned her attention to her far more important assignment. He'd been doing this every time the phone rang (neither had realised just how _much_ it did that at their house) and it was getting annoying. Hell, it had been annoying for the past hour or so. When would their parents be back from that parent-teacher meeting?

"Gabriel?" he heard Peter say and, ignoring his increased heart rate, replied as steadily as he could, "Peter."

There was silence as each waited for the other to speak. Out of the corner of his eye Gabriel caught Charlie sending another sarcastic eye roll in his direction and sighed. Really, he was an _idiot. _What the hell was he doing? This was not how it was supposed to go...

He heard the nervous hitch in Peter's tone when he asked, "Can we, uh, meet?"

He was silent, his fingers twisting themselves around the cord. He couldn't fathom the depths of his utter transformation when he asked in return, "Where?" Really, he used to be in control, dominating, the aggressive one. Now look at him! He was...well, he certainly wasn't himself, that's for sure.

As Peter breathlessly said that he'd come around and pick him up, Gabriel thought that maybe he liked this person better.

Peter had only snuck out of the house once (the affair had ended in disaster), and had certainly _never _'borrowed' his brother's car before. But he was doing both things right now. He didn't feel as nauseous as he had that other time, in fact he was positively buzzing. He couldn't stop grinning, almost bursting with barely contained laughter. The feeling rushed through his veins and he knew if he didn't see Gabriel soon his craving would reach new, far less enjoyable heights.

Nathan heard his brother sneak out – an elephant would have made less noise – but was far too preoccupied with certain magazines that had hitherto been hidden under his mattress, only to be taken out at times like this (i.e. when his parents weren't in the house). Of course when he heard the sound of the engine revving into life it was another matter entirely. He rushed outside only to find Peter long gone. If a priest – or an innocent child, take your pick – had happened to walk by he or she would have been shocked at the language pouring from Nathan's mouth. Of course this imaginary priest – or innocent child – would then have been frightened away by the massive glare Nathan threw the neighbourhood at large before stomping back inside. He'd been hoping to take the car out to see if he couldn't accidentally-on-purpose run into that pretty, blonde cheerleader – what was her name? Claire, that was it.

Gabriel worried needlessly over whether he should leave Charlie on her own – as she wisely pointed out, she was sixteen and didn't need a babysitter – and eventually decided to ask Peter if they could just stay in the car. Hearing the sound of said car Gabriel told Charlie, who pulled a face when he did, that if she needed anything she just had to come out and ask. She _did not _want to interrupt her brother and some stranger going at it like rabbits in the back seat of some car. She shuddered at the very thought.

He raced out the door, taking a flying leap over the steps to land rather jarringly on the gravel pathway. He didn't let that stop him although he did lessen his speed by a small amount (barely noticeable, really). And then he was almost ripping the car door off its hinges, so desperate was he. Peter pulled him in and the door slammed behind them. A few lights flickered on in some of the houses down the street and then quickly flickered off.

Gabriel didn't have to ask him whether they could just stay in the car. They were obviously _not _going anywhere anytime soon. He could live with that, he thought as Peter practically ripped his shirt off and threw it in the back seat.

***

Let's skip forward six weeks, to the week before the Prom.

Peter and Gabriel's relationship was blatant to all but a few (Nathan and Claire, who had other things on their minds; their parents; possibly grouchy old Mr. Linderman who lived near the school). Since Peter still couldn't keep his hands off Gabriel for long periods of time they had eventually come to an agreement of sorts with Mohinder, Matt's on-again-off-again older boyfriend who lived just down the road from Gabriel. The geneticist would let them use his spare bedroom if they let him discuss his theories with Charlie. Peter and Gabriel, a little stunned that it could be so easy, readily agreed and quickly made that spare bedroom their home-away-from-home. Charlie glared at them for an entire week because, although she didn't mind talking to Mohinder, she certainly did not like being some sort of bargaining chip.

Nathan had, after much deliberation, asked Claire out. They went to see _Get Smart _at the cinema and then had a nice dinner at that grouchy Mr. Linderman's restaurant, unimaginatively called _Linderman's_. It really was the best restaurant in town. This eventually became a weekly occurrence – only once each week because, more often than not, Nathan would do something, like lean in to kiss her or bring her hand to his lips again, which would mean that he'd spend the rest of week trying to figure out why she'd run and eventually giving up in disgust.

Claire was beginning to heal although she occasionally still cried into her pillow at night. As she went on more dates with Nathan, however, she berated herself more and more for leaving Za – _him _the way she had. Nathan was nice, she guessed, he just wasn't..._him_.

"Peter..." Gabriel said playfully and then kicked him gently when all he did was moan softly and bury his head in the pillow. "Peter..."

The man in question turned his head so he could glare at Gabriel. "What?" he growled, since for once in their entire relationship he _didn't _want to jump him at the very sight of him...although that was beginning to change the more he kept staring at Gabriel.

"Peter, would you go to the Prom with me?" he said, grinning confidently while being completely unsure of the reaction he'd get at the same time.

Peter stared at him, far longer than was absolutely necessary. He laughed nervously. "Peter? Are you going to answer me or has my beauty struck you speechless once again?" He cursed himself silently. Why couldn't he be serious for once?

Peter blinked, and shook his head. "What...I mean...I...um." He scrambled for words, any words, and came up blank. Had Gabriel just asked him to the Prom? Was he about to wake up to find that it had just been some sad fantasy? God, he hoped not.

"I...um...sure," he said finally and Gabriel thought about pinching himself to check if he was really awake. He decided against that plan of action because it was just stupid. He wasn't in some novel, or film, or whatever – this was real life and Peter had just said yes.

Then he remembered the bet.

_Oh, fuck._

Nathan, having no car since Peter had 'borrowed' his without permission and his parents were out of town on some business trip or other, had to ask his neighbour's daughter, Tracy (who had a rather obsessive crush on him) whether he could borrow her car. She said yes immediately. She'd probably never wash the seats again, he thought with a shudder. If she had known where he was headed, Tracy probably wouldn't have let him borrow her car.

He headed over to Claire's, his heart actually beating somewhat faster than normal. He hadn't felt this way since...hell, he'd _never _felt this way. He actually _liked _this girl, damn it. And it wasn't only because of her breasts. She was sweet, funny and when she looked sad...oh, he immediately berated himself on what he could possibly have done to make her feel that way. Of course, he was labouring under the delusion that everything was about him.

Claire was surprised to see him. Only yesterday she'd left him standing on the doorstep, without even a good night kiss this time, and thought she wouldn't see him for at least another week. She felt a bit guilty at this thought since it wasn't totally fair to him but she couldn't really help it. He was nice and all but...he wasn't _him_.

"Claire, would you go to the Prom with me?" he asked, not waiting to be let inside in case she decided to run away from him again.

She blinked, stunned. The Prom. She'd forgotten about that. She tried not to cry at the thought that she'd never get to go with _him_...She took a deep breath. Enough of this. Crying wasn't getting her anywhere. She smiled, then, and said, "I would love to go to the Prom with you, Nathan."

She let him kiss her and tried very hard to enjoy it. She almost succeeded.

***

Gabriel tried to contact Matt to try and make him call off the bet but it turned out that when you've been completely taken over by certain feelings the world doesn't just stop and wait for you to catch up. Matt had had to take over Gabriel's captaincy and had only been able to keep his spot free due to his remarkable debating skills (basically he talked until the coach gave in). Peter had well and truly lost his place on his team but he didn't much care anyway and, in fact, hadn't even noticed.

It was Friday, Prom night, and he hadn't been able to contact Matt at all. He'd left a message with Mohinder but they were in one of their off-again stages and so he didn't know if it would reach Matt in time. So, on top of dealing with the normal anxiety associated with Prom he also had to deal with the anxiety that he'd have to go through with the bet and risk losing Peter forever (a very unpleasant thought). Thus it was no surprise that when Peter arrived – having borrowed his parents' car for the night, Nathan having finally put his foot down – he was a complete and total nervous wreck.

Peter noticed but put it down to the usual nerves, some of which he was suffering from himself, and simply squeezed Gabriel's hand before heading off.

The Primatech Institute of the Gifted and Pinehurst High School always had a combined Prom. Both school councils thought it saved money, which it did. It also meant that there was a hell of a lot of good ole school animosity in the air. Forget seeing, you could practically _smell _it.

Nathan and Claire arrived soon after Peter and Gabriel. Nathan waved at his brother, a gesture which was returned, but that was about it in ways of acknowledgement. They spent most of the night separated until Nathan and Claire left, saying they really needed to get home but really, at least according to all the knowing smirks shared by their friends, they were going to go and make out on the bleachers.

Those smirks turned out to be completely correct.

Gabriel finally found Matt and pulled him far enough away so that their conversation couldn't be heard.

"Look, I'm just not comfortable with this whole bet thing," Matt said before he could say anything. "I mean, you're crazy about him, _anyone _can see that. Even blind people can see that," he added, thinking, yeah, they probably could. "And Peter's obviously nuts about you, lord knows why, so I think we should call this bet off."

Gabriel looked relieved. "That's what I've been..."

The sound of glasses smashing onto the floor interrupted him, and he and Matt both turned to find Peter, standing behind them, surrounded by the remnants of the drinks he'd been bringing over.

"A _bet_? A _fucking _bet?" Peter was shaking. He'd never been this angry before, or this hurt. He'd thought...he shook his head. It didn't matter what he'd thought, he'd obviously been wrong. "This," and his gesture encompassed both him and Gabriel, "was just some _fucking bet?"_

Gabriel let out a frustrated sigh. "No, Peter, it's not..." He paused. "Well, okay, it did start out..." He sighed again, frustrated beyond belief as Peter just looked on, his anger slowly leaving him shaking and hurt. "I mean, there _was _a bet but...it doesn't matter anymore! I wasn't going to go through with it!"

Peter just looked at him sadly. "Do you love me, Gabriel?"

Gabriel started. _What the hell?_ That sure came out of nowhere."I...no...I...that's not...but that's not relevant...it was just a stupid bet, I wasn't going to go through with it!" he repeated as Peter just turned and left, not even giving him a second glance.

He turned to glare at Matt and sneered, "Thanks for all your help."

Matt just raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You want my help now?" He leaned forward and said in a stage whisper, "Let me give you a piece of advice – go after him, you moron!"

They stared at each other for a full minute. And then Gabriel was grinning, turning around and following after Peter.

Meanwhile Claire had almost forgotten that certain someone and was in fact on her way to being slightly happy when Nathan's hand strayed over her breast and settled there. She waited, as he continued to kiss her, for him to remove the hand but he didn't. Okay. She could handle that.

And then she felt his other hand stroking her leg and, when that hand had almost reached her thigh, she decided she had to put a stop to it. She broke the kiss, saying, "No, stop it, Nathan."

He blinked slightly confused and then pressed their lips together again, his hand straying back to its previous position. She pushed him away. "Nathan, stop it." She made to stand up. "Maybe we should go back inside."

He pulled her back down and she landed beside him with a painful thump. "No," he said before resuming the kiss, the hand that had cupped her breast now reaching behind her and pulling the dress zipper down slowly.

Her breath hitched and it wasn't in anticipation. "Nathan...stop it!"

She tried to push him away again but he was having none of that. He pressed her against the wood plank of the bleachers with his body. She gasped at the sheer weight of him and felt tears pricking her eyelids. Oh god, what had she gotten herself into?

"Nathan...please..." she whispered, never thinking she'd ever hear herself beg or plead for something in her life. "Stop it..."

Nathan pulled back to gaze down at her. He was getting just a little frustrated. "You want _me _to stop it? What about you, Claire, hmm? I've put up with this hot-and-cold routine of yours for long enough." He added, his eyes dark and filled with lust, "I think I deserve a little something."

She shuddered at the feel of his breath near her ear. She stayed still and Nathan, thinking he'd won, bent down to kiss her. She made one last ditch effort to push him away and partially succeeded for her sudden move caught him off guard.

She managed to push him off her and was about to run down the steps when his hand grabbed hers and pulled. Her foot caught on the step.

Her scream cut off abruptly.

***

It was surprisingly easy to find Peter. He'd stopped just short of the parking lot and was standing on the sidewalk, staring at the night sky. He was trying not to cry.

Gabriel moved to stand silently next to him. After a few minutes he managed to mumble, "It was just a stupid bet," while scuffing his foot on the concrete.

Peter laughed, not very nicely. "Oh yes, I'm sure it was. Poor little Peter, let's drive him nuts until he's completely besotted then tell him that, oh, it was _just a stupid bet_." He snorted.

Gabriel remained silent. Eventually he said, "Well...I don't think we ever used the word 'besotted'...and you're certainly not little, Peter." He paused, grinning, before adding, stubbornly, "And it was."

"Is that all we were, Gabriel?" Peter said softly. "Just a stupid bet?"

"_No_," he said, vehemently, emphatically. "It may have started out that way but...I didn't expect...the way you _reacted_," he added, wonder tingeing his tone.

"Well, okay, I admit I may have come on a little strong," Peter conceded, grinning sheepishly.

"Only a little?" Gabriel quirked an eyebrow, smiling.

Peter ducked his head, a silly grin now plastered almost permanently on his face. He peered at him from beneath his bangs.

A girl screamed only to be cut off abruptly. They both turned towards the noise, frowning, and then they were running, running, in the direction the scream had come from, eventually coming upon Nathan, cradling an unconscious – or dead? – Claire in his arms. He looked up at them as they approached. He looked like he'd been crying.

"I...I didn't mean..." He let her go and stood up, backing away slowly as they fell to their knees beside her, horrified. "I'm sorry...so sorry..." He ran, ran as fast and as far away as he possibly could but he could never escape the sound of her scream as she fell or the sickening crunch her skull made when it collided with the bleachers.

"Nathan!" Peter yelled but his brother was gone. He turned back, frustrated, to find Gabriel cradling her head and moaning, "There's so much blood..." He showed him his hands, there was indeed far too much blood, and Peter noticed that his eyes had gone glassy. He realised Gabriel might faint.

He shook him violently. "Gabriel, stay with me!" He growled in frustration as Gabriel only gazed at him with increasingly vacant eyes. "Gabriel!" A thought struck him. "Get your cell phone, Gabriel! Give her to me, Gabriel, call 911!"

Gabriel blinked, shook his head. He gently gave Peter her head to cradle and fumbled around in his pockets before extracting a cell phone and calling 911.

Peter used all he could remember from that first aid class he had taken and by the time the paramedics arrived he was able to feel a tiny pulse beneath the two fingers pressed to her neck.

_~Three Years Later~_

Gabriel chewed on his bottom lip. "Peter, do you think Nathan will be coming around?"

Peter looked up from the paper he was perusing and watched him. After a moment he replied, "No, I don't think so. He called earlier and said something about..." He made a few vague movements with his hand. "...wanting to talk to Charlie about that job she mentioned. You know, that one for NASA or something?"

Gabriel nodded absently, drumming his fingers softly against the kitchen bench.

He tilted his head, still gazing at him. Gabriel had that Shifty Look (Peter had been with him long enough to have categorised and named every one of his looks), with the added Lip Chew of Worry and the Furrowed Brow of Thought. Hmm, was Gabriel trying to be...subtle? Was it time to name another look?

"What is it, Gabriel?" he asked, his eyes following the older man as he walked purposely towards the living room, stopping short in the doorway.

"So...none of them are coming?" he asked, his back to Peter.

Peter frowned, stood up in the almost-falling-down way he did everything and made his way over to Gabriel. He placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and turned him around so that they were facing each other. "Now what is this about it?"

Gabriel sighed petulantly, beginning to chew his bottom lip again. "No one's coming. Not Claire, who you know promised us that she'd never miss a Christmas—"

"...you know Zach had those two tickets to Hawaii, he even asked us if we minded," Peter said, his tone reasonable. "And you said no. And she's never really liked spending time with Nathan." He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, fine," Gabriel conceded, momentarily ceasing his lip chewing before automatically resuming it as he continued, "And Matt and Mohinder..."

Peter sighed. "Off-again stage, remember? It would have been unfair if we'd invited one and not the other."

"And now Nathan!" Gabriel continued on doggedly, ignoring Peter. He shook his head. "I mean, you'd think the end of his probation would be cause to celebrate but _oh_ _no_..." He growled deep in his throat, frustrated.

Peter grinned at him and said cheekily, "Oh, baby, you made a big dinner and now there's no one to eat it, is that it?"

Gabriel glared at him. "Oh, shut up."

Later, lying under the Christmas tree, presents strewn around them (Peter still hadn't learnt how to keep his hands off Gabriel), they panted, inhaling the fresh scent of pine needles.

"Now, aren't you happy no one came?" Peter said drowsily.

Gabriel sat up abruptly, pulling his legs in and wrapping his arms around them. He rested his chin between his knees, narrowing his eyes at Peter. "_You_," he hissed. "You told them not to come."

Peter grinned. "You don't mind, do you?" He reached out and stroked Gabriel's thigh, his grin widening when the man's eyes fluttered then closed, a moan issuing unbidden from his lips. "They would have just been in the way..."

"You are a very bad man," Gabriel said, pulling him close and kissing him on every word.

"I try." He shrugged nonchalantly. "After all, I have to compete with you."

"I love you, Peter," Gabriel whispered after awhile.

To his immense surprise Peter slapped him lightly on the arm. Rubbing the wound, he glared at him. "What was that for?"

"You finally said it!" Peter exclaimed, grinning like the maniac Gabriel was beginning to suspect he was. "After all these years, you finally say it!"

Gabriel blinked. "I...I said it last night."

Peter snorted. "Oh yes, when you thought I was _asleep_."

"Ha! I knew it!" Gabriel yelled, pointing at him. "I knew you were faking!"

Peter narrowed his eyes. "I was_ not_."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Gabriel?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you too."

__________________________________________________________________________________

**Wow, that was a bit long, wasn't it? *shrugs* Oh well. **

**Because I feel like telling you this – I couldn't think of a really good title for this so I looked at my Buffy Season 2 DVD case and picked at random. Passion. Nope, already have a fic called that. Thus Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (a good episode too).**

**Review please. **


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